Overview
In this unit, you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to identify and analyse practical issues in the complex environment of business consulting. This unit introduces you to the core principles and functions of business consulting and the complex settings within which business consulting takes place. You will develop a critical understanding of a range of theories and concepts that underpin the practice of business consulting, and explore the challenges being faced by professionals in the contemporary business environment. You will also evaluate the implementation of business consulting practices, considering perspectives and expectations of a wide range of stakeholders. The unit will build your knowledge of business consulting theory, and give you a range of practical skills to further your career in the field of business consulting.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Students feedback (three of the four students were public sector managers).
Relevance and practical nature of unit content.
School of Business and Law has put this unit on hold as a result of unit rationalisation due to COVID-19. A further recommendation is not required at this time.
- Discuss and apply foundational knowledge in the field of business consulting
- Understand and demonstrate the skills and abilities required to be a successful business consultant
- Analyse the roles and responsibilities of a professional business consultant
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the range of stakeholders involved with effective business consulting.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
1 - Research Assignment - 40% | ||||
2 - Presentation - 20% | ||||
3 - Research Assignment - 40% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
1 - Knowledge | ||||
2 - Communication | ||||
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
4 - Research | ||||
5 - Self-management | ||||
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
7 - Leadership | ||||
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
1 - Research Assignment - 40% | ||||||||
2 - Presentation - 20% | ||||||||
3 - Research Assignment - 40% |
Textbooks
Business and Management Consulting: Delivering an effective project
Edition: 6 (2020)
Authors: Wickham, L. & Wilcock, J.
Pearson
Harlow Harlow , UK
ISBN: 9781292259499
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
Both the paper and eBook version can be purchased at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code)
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
m.n.johnson@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
The nature of business consulting
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 1
Newton: Chapter 1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The consulting process
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 2
Newton: Chapter 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Clarifying your consulting business model
Chapter
Newton: Chapter 4 & 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Establishing a prospect's needs
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 5
Newton: Chapter 2
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Evaluating a prospect's capabilities
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Project proposal and pitch
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 4
Newton: Chapter 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Working with clients and teams
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Managing the client during the project
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Developing solutions
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 9
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Managing project tasks
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 10
Newton: Chapter 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Post-project matters
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 12
Newton: Chapter 9
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Consulting as a a career
Chapter
Wickham & Wilcock: Chapter 12
Newton: Chapter 14
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Reference Texts:
Newton, R. (2019). The Management Consultant. 2e. Pearson.
Wickham, L., & Wilcock, J. (2020). Business and Management Consulting: Delivering an effective project. 6e. Pearson.
1 Research Assignment
This assessment task requires you to deeply consider and prepare your consulting business model. Material covered in the first three weeks will enable you to consider the different approaches that successful consultants have used to shape their particular consulting business model. Using this background and additional journal research, your consulting business model (CBM) will need to elaborate each component as it pertains to leveraging your portfolio of skills and experience in highly prospective target industries/sectors.
This is an individual assessment task.
The submission needs to follow Business Report format and adhere to a length of 1500-words.
Assessment value: 40%
Week 5 Friday (8 Apr 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Please submit in Moodle (Feedback Studio)
Week 7 Friday (29 Apr 2022)
Access Feedback Studio and click the blue pencil icon
Your consulting business model (CBM) will be assessed using the following criteria (with marks specified in brackets):
- Clear enunciation of the Consulting Business Model (CBM) you propose to use in your selected target market(s) and industry/ies of choice (10%)
- Prepare a client empathy map (see Osterwalder & Pigneur (2010) p.131) for the most prospective client/industry (5%)
- Specify the essential components of CBM, including your value proposition, that are central to the empathy map (10%)
- Identify the CBM components that you will provide, those that will require collaboration, and any that will be contractually outsourced (5%)
- What are the competitive advantages your CBM will rely on? (5%)
- How will you measure success for the purpose of continuous improvement? (5%)
- Discuss and apply foundational knowledge in the field of business consulting
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the range of stakeholders involved with effective business consulting.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
2 Presentation
This individual assessment task will draw on material covered in Weeks 4 to 7, and supported by the work you have undertaken in Assessment 1.
Your task is to prepare and deliver a consulting pitch to your preferred target market, along with a one-page consulting capability statement that you would leave with a client.
Your submission for the assessment comprises a 3-minute recorded pitch and the supporting one-page consulting capability statement.
Assessment value: 20%
Week 8 Friday (6 May 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Submit through Moodle (Feedback Studio)
Week 10 Friday (20 May 2022)
Feedback is accessible through Feedback Studio by clicking on the blue pencil icon
In preparing and delivering your Pitch to your preferred target market or industry, you will be assessed on the degree to which:
- Your pitch addresses the salient considerations that your prospective client will use in selecting a consulting firm (5%)
- How you propose to add value to your prospective client (5%)
- How you have embedded relevant strategies of influence (5%)
- The structure, content, and quality of your Capability Statement (5%)
- Discuss and apply foundational knowledge in the field of business consulting
- Understand and demonstrate the skills and abilities required to be a successful business consultant
- Analyse the roles and responsibilities of a professional business consultant
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
3 Research Assignment
This final assessment task builds on the material covered in Weeks 7 to 11, and supported by relevant material covered earlier in the Term.
This individual task requires you to Identify an organisational problem, either in your current workplace or a nominated organisation, and develop a three-phased consulting proposal as follows:
- Phase 1: Prepare a consulting proposal complete with project method and project plan;
- Phase 2: Conduct a high-level analysis to identify priority issues, conduct an analysis, synthesise your findings, and develop impactful client recommendations.
- Phase 3: How you propose to provide post-project support to the client
Your individual submission is to follow Business Report format within the prescribed 1500-word limit.
Assessment value: 40%
Week 12 Friday (3 June 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Submit through Moodle (Feedback Studio)
The result for this assignment is available after finalisation and release of grades for Term 1 on Friday 8 July
Your Business Report submission will contains three parts, with marks awarded as follows:
Part 1: Prepare a consulting proposal complete with project method and project plan (15%);
Part 2: Conduct a high-level analysis to identify priority issues, conduct an analysis, synthesise your findings, and develop impactful client recommendations (15%); and
Part 3: How you propose to provide post-project support to the client (10%)
- Understand and demonstrate the skills and abilities required to be a successful business consultant
- Analyse the roles and responsibilities of a professional business consultant
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the range of stakeholders involved with effective business consulting.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.